Guterres expresses concern over “mass arrests” following renewed protests in Bangladesh

Jul 30 (EUROPA PRESS) –

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday expressed concern over the “mass arrests” following the resumption of protests in Bangladesh, which began two weeks ago against the now suspended quota system for public officials and which resulted in nearly 200 deaths and more than 500 arrests.

“(Guterres) remains deeply concerned about the situation in Bangladesh. He takes note of reports of renewed student protests today and reiterates his call for calm and restraint. The Secretary-General is concerned about reports of mass arrests of thousands of young people and political opponents in connection with the ongoing student movement,” said the Secretary-General’s spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, during a press conference.

The group has also expressed alarm at reports of “excessive use of force” by security forces against protesters, leading to human rights violations, and has asked the authorities to investigate such actions “promptly, transparently and impartially.”

In this regard, he stressed the importance of the authorities respecting the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, as well as holding those responsible for the aforementioned violations accountable.

“We have noted the statements by the Bangladeshi authorities that UN-branded vehicles are no longer deployed on their territory,” he added, referring to reports of such vehicles being used in the crackdown on protests.

The protests against the quota system – which gave 30 percent of places to descendants of fighters from Pakistan’s war of independence in a decision critics say was discriminatory – have been the most serious in the country’s recent history. Organisations such as Amnesty International have accused the security forces of practising a policy of repression against the protesters and there is still no official death toll, but national media, citing medical sources, estimate around 200 dead and 20,000 wounded.